Harsh Mander resigns as NHRC monitor

In his resignation letter, Harsh Mander said “there is no constructive role” for him to play as the Special Monitor at the NHRC.

Social activist Harsh Mander has resigned as the Special Monitor at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), saying “there is no constructive role” for him to play.

Social activist Harsh Mander has resigned as the Special Monitor at the National Human Rights Commission. (HT File Photo)

In his resignation letter released to the media on Monday, Mander complained that despite having been told that the NHRC would from time to time seek his services to look into matters concerning the rights of minorities and communal violence, the commission “has not reached out to him even once” on these issues.

“Because of the continued silence of the NHRC, both in terms of approaching me for investigation or mission on any human rights concerns of minorities and communal violence, for which I had been invited; and on the report I authored on the critical question of persons declared foreigners in Assam, it is apparent that there is no constructive role for the NHRC Special Monitor,” he wrote.

“I therefore feel compelled to answer my call of conscience to resign from the responsibility...”

He said that he was resigning to pursue these concerns with greater freedom.